LOCAL government areas are the closest to the grassroot in Nigeria. They allow communities to have a say in how they are governed, ensuring their needs are met through effective representation.
This, in return, can lead to inclusive governance, where citizens actively participate in decision-making processes, fostering robust governance at the local governments.
However, despite their importance in Nigeria, elections into offices at that level of governance are always marred by controversies. Elections always face significant hurdles, hindering free, fair, and transparent processes.
These challenges impede the effectiveness of smooth administration, which are crucial for grassroots political participation and socialisation at the local level.
The seemingly improper conduct of LG elections in Nigeria has sparked calls for constitutional reforms to strengthen local government autonomy and ensure free and fair elections.
Lawmaker frowns at the conduct of LG elections across Nigeria.
In December 2024, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, criticised the conduct of local government elections across Nigeria, describing it as “disgraceful” and a caricature of democratic regulations.
Abbas shared these concerns at the National Dialogue on Local Government and Constitution Amendment in Abuja.
He emphasised the importance of local governments in providing essential services and giving citizens a voice and while pointing out the lack of competitiveness in local elections.
Abbas criticised the excessive control of local governments by state governments and political godfathers, arguing it undermines their autonomy.
He welcomed a recent Supreme Court judgment requiring council elections and direct funding, saying it was a step toward stronger local governance. The speaker also called for reviewing State Independent Electoral Commissions’ roles, citing accusations of bias toward ruling parties.
AGF wants INEC to conduct LG elections
In May 2024, Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, recommended transferring SIEC powers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), hoping it might be necessary to restore credibility to local government polls.
Fagbemi proposed that State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) should be scrapped.
Fagbemi spoke at a one-day discourse with the theme: ‘Nigeria’s Security Challenges and Good Governance at The Local Government Levels’ organised by the House of Representatives.
While criticising governors for exploiting weaknesses in the 1999 constitution and rendering local governments ineffective, AGF highlighted how governors manipulate SIECs to impose leaders on local governments through sham elections.
According to him, governors either conduct sham elections or appoint caretaker leaders, which deprives local communities of effective representation.
Supreme Court landmark ruling in favour of LG autonomy
The ICIR reports that the federal government had dragged the 36 state governors before the Supreme Court over the age-long debate of full autonomy for local governments.
In its ruling on Thursday, July 11, 2024, the apex court said it is unconstitutional for governors to hold council funds. The apex court thereby granted the nation’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) financial autonomy.
The judgement, read by Justice of the Supreme Court Emmanuel Agim, held that funds meant for LGAs be paid directly into their accounts.
The court also ruled that it was unconstitutional for the state governments to hold on to or manage such allocations and directed the 774 LGAs to commence managing their funds.
Calls for local government autonomy in Nigeria have increased in recent years, as interference by the state has been identified as a reason for its underperformance.
Recent controversial council polls in Nigeria
In the Southwest state of Osun, the recently concluded local government election raised dust.
The issue escalated when the AGF and Minister of Justice, Fagbemi, warned the state Governor, Ademola Adeleke, against proceeding with the Saturday, February 21, local government election in the state.
The AGF told Adeleke to direct the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to suspend the election.
In a statement signed by the AGF on Thursday, February 20, he warned that conducting a new local government poll would be invalid and unconstitutional.
Fagbemi said the crisis in Osun State erupted when some disgruntled elements resisted the attempt by the officials to resume their positions.
However, despite the AGF’s warning, Adeleke, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Friday, February 21, vowed that nothing would stop the process.
According to Adeleke, Osun voters were prepared to exercise their voting rights, even as he expressed satisfaction with the level of preparation by the electoral body.
Adeleke went on to conduct the election and inaugurated the newly elected chairpersons and councillors in the state capital on Sunday, February 23.
He charged the officials to prioritise good governance while cautioning against seizing council secretariats in the state by force.
Reacting, the director of media of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Kola Olabisi, alleged that the election results were manufactured.
Olabisi, during an interview with the PUNCH, said OSSIEC had made the state an object of ridicule.
The ICIR reported that seven people reportedly died during the period as APC supporters and those of the PDP clashed in the state on Monday, February 17. The crisis also led to the death of a former chairman of the Irewole Local Government Area, Aderemi Abbas, and others.
In Kano State, Northwest Nigeria, a Federal High Court sacked the chairman and members of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) a few days before the conduct of local government election.
The court, in its ruling, delivered by Simon Amobede, stated that the KANSIEC chairman, Sani Lawan Malumfashi, a professor, and other members were card-carrying members of the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the state.
The court gave the ruling on Tuesday, October 22, while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Aminu Aliyu Tiga of the APC against KANSIEC, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Isa Dederi, and 14 others.
After the court ruling, a few days before the local government election, the state government boasted that it would proceed with the exercise scheduled for Saturday, October 26.
The Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, in a statement, said he was ready to swear in those declared winners by the electoral body.
The ICIR reports that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), won all the 44 council areas of Kano State.
Elsewhere in Rivers State, tension intensified when the Nigerian Police Force said it would not provide security for local council elections scheduled for Saturday, October 5, in the state.
The State Police command announced its withdrawal from the exercise in a statement posted on its Facebook page and shared on its X handle on Friday, October 4.
This followed a series of court rulings that raised concerns regarding the legality of the electoral process.
The ICIR also reported how an explosion rocked the APC secretariat in Port Harcourt just hours before the election.
The poll became a major issue of national concern, particularly as it deepened the feud between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The ICIR reports that on September 30, a Federal High Court in Abuja upheld a July 19 ruling that barred the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from participating in the local government election.
However, on Wednesday, October 2, Fubara declared that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) would proceed with the poll.
He further called on security agents to ensure the exercise was free, fair and credible, as he restricted human and vehicular movements on election day from midnight on Friday to 5 pm on Saturday.
The decision, however, sparked protests from supporters of PDP and those of the APC, who had vowed to boycott the election due to the legal fireworks trailing it.
The ICIR reported that tensions reached a boiling point on October 3, as a large group of PDP members stormed the party’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, voicing their opposition to the planned conduct of the election by RSIEC.
During the period, Governor Fubara led a delegation to the RSIEC office in the early hours of Friday, October 4, following claims that armed policemen from neighbouring Abia State attempted to infiltrate the facility to seize sensitive electoral materials.
It was reported that police officers led by a deputy commissioner of police (operations) at the Rivers State command had moved to RSIEC at about 1.00 am on Friday.
The ICIR reported that the African People’s Party (APP) won 22 out of the 23 chairmanship seats in the poll, with the Action Alliance (AA) claiming one.
But the Supreme Court, in a ruling on February 28, 2025, sacked all the local government chairpersons that were elected.
In its judgment, delivered by Jamilu Tukur, the Supreme Court declared the election conducted by RSIEC invalid.
The court declared that the election grossly violated the Electoral Act.
Lawyers react to controversial LG elections in Nigeria
Some lawyers who spoke to The ICIR said local government elections are usually controversial because of power tussles among various political interests in a state.
Monday Marvellous, a barrister, while commenting on the matter, stated that local elections are often marred by controversy because of power struggles, stressing that the absence of the rule of law always fuelled controversies.
“Most times it is a power to tussle political actors and interests and refusal to allow the rule of law to take its course,” Marvellous stated.
On what can be done to have a credible LG election, Marvellous said institutions need to become answerable to the constitution and Nigeria rather than to any politician or political interest.
Another lawyer, Moshood Ibrahim, said the reason why local government elections are always controversial in Nigeria is because they are still democratically immature.
“Also, our governors have too much power with the type of federalism we practice in Nigeria,” he added.
Ibrahim recommended that the local government election should be removed from State Electoral commissions that are being controlled by governors.
“We should have another electoral umpire that conducts local government elections across the federation. I’m aware there is a bill to that effect at the Senate, and I hope the bill will be passed into law,” he stated.
A reporter with the ICIR
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